Alert archive / Florida / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 13, NWS Tampa Bay, FL

March 27, 2003Charlotte County, Florida

NWS Tampa Bay, FL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 27, 2003, 10:53 AM EST for Charlotte County, Florida. It was in force for 37 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Mar 27, 2003, 10:53 AM EST (15:53 UTC)
Expired
Mar 27, 2003, 11:30 AM EST
In force
37 min
Issued by
NWS Tampa Bay, FL
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Charlotte County, FL

The radar

The Tampa radar (KTBW), 104 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 15:56 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Tampa Bay, FL (KTBW), launched 12:00Z, 3.9 hours before the alert went out and 104 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Tampa Bay, FL at 12:00Z on 2003-03-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 845 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Tampa Bay, FL at 12:00Z on 2003-03-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 166 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
845 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-17 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
820 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
50 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
166 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
216 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
2.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

520 
WUUS52 KTBW 271553
SVRTBW
FLC015-271630-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
1053 AM EST THU MAR 27 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RUSKIN HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  EASTERN CHARLOTTE COUNTY IN FLORIDA.

* UNTIL 1130 AM EST

* AT 1053 AM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH LARGE HAIL...OVER CENTRAL CHARLOTTE
  COUNTY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT...
  BABCOCK RANCH.

AT 1050 AM EST...WEATHER SPOTTERS ALSO REPORTED PEA TO DIME SIZE 
HAIL IN SOUTH PUNTA GORDA

QUARTER SIZE HAIL IS LIKELY. MOVE INDOORS IMMEDIATELY.

&&

LAT...LON 2686 8203 2674 8189 2701 8159 2701 8185

$$

72

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Tampa Bay, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Mar 27, 9:22 AM EST, 1 hour 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 27, 9:22 AM EST, 1 hour 31 minutes before
WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
922 AM EST THU MAR 27 2003

ACTIVE RADAR OVER MAINLY THE MARINE AREAS THIS MORNING AS PNSULA
APPEARS TO BE ENCIRCLED WITH CONVECTIVE SHWRS/TSTMS. THIS ACTIVITY IS
RENEWED AFTER THE OVERNIGHT AREA OF TSTMS OVER THE ERN GOMEX
DISSIPATED COMING OFF THE GULF LOOP CURRENT INTO A SOMEWHAT MORE
UNFAVORABLE MORE STABLE ENVIRONMENT OVER THE PNSULA AS EVIDENT WITH
THE 12K FT INVERSION ON THE 12Z TBW RAOB.

BUT AS THE UPPER LOW CUTOFF CENTERED OVER THE N CNTRL GOMEX KICKS
OUT ENEWD TDY THRU TNGT INTO THE ATLNTC OFF THE GA COAST BY FRI
MRNG...CONDITIONS ARE QUICKLY BECOMING MORE UNSTABLE TO GENERATE
CONSIDERABLE SHWR/TSTM DVELPMT TDY ENDING THIS EVENING. MORNING GOMEX
CONVECTION FURTHER ENHANCED BY MODEL INDICATED PVA AREA SWINGING NEWD
INTO PNSULA. THIS SHOULD FAVOR BEST PCPN CHANCES THRU ERY/MID AFTN
ALONG FOR THE COASTAL COUNTIES...WITH FAVORED CONVECTION OVER THE
INLAND COUNTIES MID AFTN THRU LATE DAY. SOME STORMS EXPECTED TO
BE POTENT...ESPECIALLY INLAND AREAS AND NRN FA UNDER COOLER TEMPS
ALOFT...WITH CONCERNED POTENTIAL SEVERE THREAT FOR HAIL AND GUSTY
WINDS.

ONGOING PACKAGE FOR THE SHORT TERM SEEMS OK BUT WILL EDGE UP TDYS MAX
TEMPS A FEW DEGS DUE TO INCREASED SUNSHINE THIS MRNG.

MARINE...WITH TBW 12Z RAOB WINDS OF 20+KTS 1K-3K FT...WILL BUMP UP
SFC WINDS TO 10-15 KTS TDY.

.TBW...NONE.

DMR/DN
Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 27, 5:20 AM EST, 5 hours 33 minutes before
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-271600-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
520 AM EST THU MAR 27 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY:

...ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON...

A STRONG UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER THE NORTHERN GULF OF
MEXICO THIS MORNING...WILL MOVE EASTWARD ACROSS NORTHERN FLORIDA
LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT. CONDITIONS WILL BECOME FAVORABLE FOR STRONG
TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP BY THIS AFTERNOON AS THE UPPER
LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES CLOSER TO THE AREA.

FOR THIS MORNING...ONLY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE
EXPECTED. BY EARLY AFTERNOON...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE
EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND STRENGTH... ESPECIALLY OVER
INTERIOR LOCATIONS...WITH SOME STORMS BECOMING STRONG TO SEVERE.
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE TOWARD THE NORTHEAST
TODAY AT 10 TO 15 MPH.

THE MAIN THREATS FROM ANY STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON WILL
BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. THERE IS ALSO THE POSSIBILITY FOR
ISOLATED TORNADOES. REMEMBER...ALL THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR
POSSIBLE WATCHES OR WARNINGS THIS AFTERNOON.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY:

...MORE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE LATER THIS WEEKEND...

ANOTHER STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE COLD
FRONT ARE EXPECTED TO APPROACH THE AREA FROM THE WEST ON SUNDAY.
THIS SYSTEM WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE STRONG STORMS BY
SUNDAY AFTERNOON. RESIDENTS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR FORECASTS AND
STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS
CONCERNING THE THREAT FOR STRONG STORMS LATER THIS WEEKEND.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON...AND AGAIN ON
SUNDAY.

FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT
HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TBW

MORALES

The office that day

Everything else NWS Tampa Bay, FL issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 27, 11:03 AM ESTSpecial Marine WarningTBW57 min
Mar 27, 11:08 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTBWDeSoto52 min
Mar 27, 11:52 AM ESTSpecial Marine WarningTBW53 min
Mar 27, 12:10 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTBWLee65 min
Mar 27, 1:00 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTBWHillsborough30 min
Mar 27, 1:04 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTBWLevy31 min
Mar 27, 1:20 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTBWPasco40 min
Mar 27, 1:34 PM ESTSpecial Marine WarningTBW56 min
Mar 27, 1:45 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTBWCitrus30 min
Mar 27, 2:01 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTBWHernando29 min
Mar 27, 2:08 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTBWLevy37 min
Mar 27, 2:10 PM ESTSpecial Marine WarningTBW2 hr
Mar 27, 2:19 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTBWCitrus, Sumter41 min
Mar 27, 2:20 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTBWHernando, Pasco25 min
Mar 27, 2:37 PM ESTTornado WarningTBWLee23 min
Mar 27, 2:42 PM ESTTornado WarningTBWLevy48 min
Mar 27, 2:58 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTBWHernando, Pasco47 min
Mar 27, 3:08 PM ESTTornado WarningTBWPasco22 min
Mar 27, 4:37 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTBWPasco38 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Florida, 2003Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2003

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.